The 2 Bread Pans All Bakers Should Have In Their Kitchen

As the temperatures cool, baking season is back, and with it an expert tip from Jami Callao, Corporate Pastry Chef at the Respect Hospitality family of restaurants in New York. We asked her what kind of bread pan every baker should have in their home kitchen. She offered not one suggestion, but two.

"A good nine by five bread pan is an essential staple for home bakers," Callao told us. "It's versatile for making everything from sandwich loaves to quick breads." This is the one to use when you're upgrading your family's lunches with homemade sandwich bread or using up ripe fruit in banana bread. For best results, choose a heavy-duty metal pan like this one from USA Pan available on Amazon, or even a cast iron pan. All of these materials conduct heat evenly so the bread will brown equally on all sides. Meanwhile, glass loaf pans are slower to reach baking temperature, which can lead to over-browning on the outside and undercooking inside.

Jami Callao's other favorite pan is just right for baking the classic boule bread you see all over social media. She says, "A seven-quart Dutch oven is great for artisanal-style loaves with a perfect crust." Its cast iron structure holds and distributes heat evenly, and if you keep the top on for the beginning of the baking process, it can trap steam to help the loaf rise, keep the inside moist, and create that irresistible crispy crust on the outside.

For best results, remember to pre-heat the Dutch oven before adding the dough. Place the pan and its lid in a cold oven and heat to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. When the dough is ready, carefully transfer it to the hot pan and put the lid on. After 20 minutes, use a hot pad to remove the lid and continue baking for the rest of the allotted time. When the loaf has turned golden brown and makes a hollow sound when you tap on it, it's done! Carefully remove the pan and turn the loaf out on a rack to cool — and naturally, photograph for your socials.